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I’m thinking of trying my dads Excalibur for turkey this year. I’m often successful with shotgun, so I thought I’d try something somewhat more challenging. Just wondering if you need special broadheads and where you all aim. I’ve seen guys aim for neck, or body while bird is broadside, also saw a sternum shot. Any pros or cons? Any information is greatly appreciated.
Through the back breast bone will deflect bolt out the neck dead bird
Through neck just above body dead bird
I just use 100gr bolt cutters
6’ to 20’
Not cheap way to get a bird but sure is a boost for deer hunting confidence
Do you reuse the bolt / head after a turkey kill ?
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No all turkeys I’ve shot bolt and broad head have been ruined. Or buried so as not to be able to find it
Just practice, practice, and practice your shot. It's a small target. I shot my first turkey with a bow last year. Fixed broadhead side shot went down an stayed down
I've been successful with the crossbow. Shot placement is everything. There is a couple youtube vids that explain it well. I personally will never shoot a bird from the back ever again. I hit one too low on the back and the bird not only walked with the arrow stuck in it, it also took flight to never be seen again. I like aiming broadside wing shoulder bone area. I use mechanical heads because they fly true for me. Good luck and have fun but make sure you practice and your getting groups tennis ball size
I have had success with both a crossbow and compound bow on turkeys. To mirror what others have said, shot placement is key. Learn turkey anatomy for body shots or if possible, aim at the base of the neck for a decap shot (rage 2 blade hypodermic works great for this). On top of that, with any archery equipment, practice, practice, practice. Good luck in the turkey woods this spring!
Dan
I've killed them with both compound and crossbow. For both I used a blind but you could get away without with a crossbow. With my compound I used fixed Muzzy 100's with a "grasshopper" behind it (look it up : ) ). For my crossbow I used mechanical heads. As for shot placement the very best shot IMO is a fanning bird facing away from you, otherwise the wingbutt will put them down right there. I've been able to re-use my arrows and my bolts but the mechanical heads were toast after hitting turkey bones. Kind of turned me off of them for deer. TC
Large cut mechanicals work well out of a crossbow or compound. A 125gr Schwacker would be perfect. It provides more room for error and a bigger chance of disabling their wings and/or legs.
Use their legs as a reference for aiming. Their lungs are above their legs and their heart just infront of them. Aiming for the tops of the legs gives you a lung shot and disables their legs, a turkey that runs is almost impossible to find. The only way to "track" a hit bird is to watch that bird as far as you can and burn it into your memory as it will leave essentially zero blood trail or tracks and a wounded turkey is infinitely harder to spot than deer and you're more likely to step on them before seeing them.
I've shot a bunch with the compound
first one I shot was a body shot and I couldn't find it until the next day and it was ruined. since then I switched to a decap head and been 100% successful plus it's pretty wild watching a strutting tom loose his head completely
Had a couple good spots years back in counties that prohibited Sunday gun hunting. Ran a 50% recovery rate on body shots. 3/6 over several years then gave it up. I used 125 grain wasp jackhammer mechanicals. I think decaps are the best way to go. I did most of my archery hunting without a blind as well. Attachment 43424
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no luck for me with the bow
but i will try again this year
Like others have said, it’s a small target.
And with all those feathers there is usually no blood trail.
I’ve found that a broadside shot at the top of the legs through the hips works really well, as they can’t run. And if they can’t run, they also can’t take off.
The three-blade Magnus® BullHead broadheads , these work amazing out of a compound. We practice into a pillow until dialed in. I have not launched them out of a crossbow. And they do completely decapitate a turkeys head. One turkey missed so far over the years but the broadhead hit the blind on the way out